Researchers analyzed responses to the 2013 National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators survey from 24,045 nurses at 168 U.S. acute care hospitals. Of all nurses surveyed, 2,156 were trained internationally. The analysis found that having higher proportions of internationally educated nurses did not decrease collaboration among nurses or between nurses and physicians.
Units with more internationally trained nurses had higher levels of education, potentially because internationally educated nurses are more likely to have a bachelor’s degree to qualify for and pass the U.S. licensure exam.
Higher proportions of internationally trained nurses were also tied to higher retention rates, which the authors attributed to the higher probability that international nurses stay in a position longer than U.S.-educated peers.
“Given the ongoing nursing workforce shortage, especially in rural areas, nurse managers and hospital administrators should not be reluctant to hire qualified internationally educated nurses to fill vacancies,” said Chenjuan Ma, PhD, lead author and assistant professor at New York City-based NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing.
However, the study did find that units with more internationally trained nurses had higher patient-to-nurse ratios, despite those nurses often being recruited to counter such shortages.
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